Eugene Andrews just after World War II..

Written by

David Veselenak

Gannett Michigan

It took almost 70 years, but Gene Andrews of Livonia finally received the military accolades he earned serving in the Army during World War II.

Andrews, 87, was presented the World War II Victory Medal by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on Monday at his home. Anyone who served in the U.S. military during World War II is eligible for the medal, though somehow, Andrews’ medal fell through the cracks.

It wasn’t until recently when his son, Chris Andrews, stumbled across his father’s discharge papers that he saw his dad was eligible for the medal but never received it.

“I looked at it and on the bottom, it said something about a medal,” he said. “I started researching it and saw it was for people who had served during World War II.”

The medal was authorized by Congress in 1945.

Gene Andrews received his medal during a short ceremony attended by family, neighbors and members of VFW Post No. 3941 in Livonia.

“It’s wonderful to have a chance to say ‘thank you’ to you and have a chance to share with your family,” Stabenow said. “These are medals that are long overdue to get to you, and I’m glad we can help make that happen.”

Andrews enlisted in 1946. He planned to enlist with a good friend, but was separated from him when the bus he got on did not have enough room. He did his basic training in Seattle then headed to Okinawa and began working in topography with the Army Corps of Engineers.

He spent most of his service time in Japan, working to help survey areas that were devastated by war.

“We made maps,” he said. “During the war, the island got blown up a lot, and they were rebuilding and everything. So we had to re-survey the whole island.”

Although the war was considered over in 1945, President Harry Truman authorized the World War II Victory Medal be awarded to members of the military who served from Dec. 7, 1941, to Dec. 31, 1946, when hostilities were officially declared over. That made Andrews eligible for the decoration.

He received the medal, the ribbon and a lapel pin, all of which he plans to frame and hang above a photo of himself in his uniform.

Chris Andrews said he had heard it could take up to three years before the medal could be awarded. But stopping at a restaurant in Salem about a month ago, he ran into Stabenow and asked whether she could help with the process.

“I thought of it later and sent a note. The next day, I got a letter from her staff saying, ‘I’ve got a form, I can help you out,’ ” he said. “They’ve just been so good at helping me.”

After all the paperwork was filed, Andrews invited Stabenow to come bestow the award on his father.

Stabenow said her office tries to secure medals as quickly as possible for World War II vets who did not receive them.

“We need to make sure they get the recognition they deserve because we wouldn’t have the freedoms we have in this country without them,” she said.